Category: Science

Science

Tetrapod-shaped nanoparticles could make plastics easier to process, finds IIT study

November 25, 2025 admin

An image of concrete tetrapods used as wave breakers to prevent beach erosion. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A collaborative study by researchers from three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has found that adding tetrapod-shaped nanoparticles to certain synthetic plastics can significantly reduce their viscosity, making them easier and less energy-intensive to process. Plastics owe…

Science

Why did Hayli Gubbi erupt now?

November 25, 2025 admin

In this photo released by the Afar Government Communication Bureau, ash billows from an eruption of the long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia. | Photo Credit: AP Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano in Afar, Ethiopia, and a member of the Erta Ale Range. It’s located at the edge of the East African Rift where…

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Hypoxia rewires membrane lipids, drives pancreatic cells to move: IIT-Bombay study

November 25, 2025 admin

Pancreatic cancers are aggressive and deadly, with high rates of metastasis and poor prognosis. The tumour environment is also hypoxic: the cells rapidly divide and thrive in very low oxygen conditions. Now, IIT-Bombay researchers have shown that the hypoxia ends up enhancing the cells’ metastatic behavior. By affecting the cells’ plasma membrane lipids, hypoxic conditions…

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How are passengers able to access the Internet on aeroplanes?

November 25, 2025 admin

Passenger Internet on aeroplanes used to be rare in the 2010s but has become almost commonplace today. On most flights, the basic idea is that the whole aeroplane is treated like a flying Wi-Fi router that connects to the rest of the Internet through a long backhaul link. This means your phone or laptop never…

Science

Indian researchers reveal novel mutation that causes rare condition among consanguineous children

November 24, 2025 admin

The child is being treated at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru. File photograph A recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Dysmorphology has presented the first detailed case report of a new kind of gene mutation in a child, with a rare condition – pseudo-TORCH Syndrome Type 2. Using exome sequencing, a…

Science

What on Earth (or Beyond) is a Time Crystal?

November 24, 2025 admin

Science is a fascinating subject because it tells stories that sound unbelievable at first, invisible forces, teleporting particles, and now, a crystal that dances in time! Every discovery feels like a peek into a new world of possibilities. And the best part? There’s no end to discovery. A crystal that never rests Imagine a crystal…

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ADHD stimulants are being used recreationally, with consequences for users

November 24, 2025 admin

Not long ago, most people thought of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as a childhood condition that would eventually be outgrown. Now it’s everywhere. TikTok videos describe “ADHD moments” that feel instantly familiar, clinics are booked out for months, and adults are finally getting diagnoses that explain years of chaos and exhaustion. Also Read:…

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Where does road dust settle in India’s efforts to clean its air?

November 24, 2025 admin

Road dust mainly comprises PM₁₀ and coarse particles and forms a large share of the air we breathe. With the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) aiming for a 40% reduction in PM₁₀ by 2025-2026, reducing road dust is an urgent priority. This is reinforced by source apportionment studies across 17 non-attainment cities that have found…

Science

What are cookies (on the internet)?

November 24, 2025 admin

When you visit a website, a small pop-up appears before you explore it fully, asking you to “Accept all” or “Deny.” These are internet cookies often explained in tiny bits of texts we don’t bother to read. In today’s digital world, where so much of our information exists online, it’s important to understand what happens…

Science

13 new amphibians recorded from northeast

November 24, 2025 admin

Eaglenest bush frog. Photo credit: Special arrangement In a major taxonomic revision of bush frogs, the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recorded 13 new-to-science species of amphibians from the northeastern part of the country. These new species have been described in a study published in the latest issue of Vertebrate Zoology, an international journal….

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