Category: Science

Science

‘Station’ in Ladakh begins research to simulate life on Moon, Mars

July 31, 2025 admin

To prepare for possible manned space missions to the Moon and potentially Mars, Protoplanet, a Bengaluru-based company involved in space science popularisation, launched human outer planet exploration (HOPE) in Tso Kar, Ladakh, according to a statement from the company. HOPE is intended to be a research station where selected ‘crew’ — beginning August 1 —…

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Can gut microbes help flush out forever chemicals in your body? Here is what experts have to say

July 31, 2025 admin

Could your gut help clear out toxic “forever chemicals”? Scientists are beginning to explore the possibility that certain gut bacteria might help remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – colloquially known as forever chemicals – a class of chemicals linked to cancer and other health harms from the body. A study published in Nature Microbiology…

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How does the Indian harmonium produce its lively music?

July 31, 2025 admin

The Indian portable harmonium is a close cousin of the larger foot-pumped organs once found in European churches and homes. It’s a wooden box roughly the size of a small suitcase. You sit on the floor behind it and pump a pair of bellows with one hand and play piano-like keys with the other. All these…

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India launches NASA-ISRO earth observation satellite

July 30, 2025 admin

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-F16 rocket carrying the earth observation satellite lifted off from the second launch pad of the space centre at 5.40 p.m. Eighteen minutes later,…

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Science for All: Scientists use virtual reality to predict anticipatory immune response

July 30, 2025 admin

Image used for representation. | Photo Credit: Fabrice Coffrini (This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Subscribe now!) Usually, scientists believe that an immune system response kicks in after the infecting pathogen has entered the body. However, a new…

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Quiz: Lands kept apart, or together, by a sliver

July 30, 2025 admin

Quiz: Lands kept apart, or together, by a sliver 1 / 6 | Clockwise from top left, these are the cities of Auckland, Manila, Seattle, and Madison. What do they have in common in line with this quiz’s theme? 2 / 6 | Name the narrow waterway that separates Europe from Asia and which has…

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NISAR mission launch highlights: GSLV-F 16 successfully places NISAR satellite in orbit

July 30, 2025 admin

“Historic moment for ISRO and NASA”: ISRO SAC director Nilesh Desai on NISAR satellite launch As the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite is set to launch on Wednesday aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Nilesh M Desai, ISRO’s Director of Space Applications Centre, termed the mission “a classic…

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How SpaceX’s rocket diplomacy backfired in the Bahamas

July 30, 2025 admin

When SpaceX was negotiating a deal with the Bahamas last year to allow its Falcon 9 rocket boosters to land within the island nation’s territory, Elon Musk’s company offered a sweetener: complimentary Starlink internet terminals for the country’s defence vessels, according to three people familiar with the matter. The rocket landing deal, unlocking a more…

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UN holds emergency talks over sky-high costs for COP30 climate summit

July 30, 2025 admin

A drone view shows a hotel under construction ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The United Nations’ climate bureau held an urgent meeting on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) over concerns that sky-high accommodation prices for this year’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil could price poorer countries out…

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Insurance can better cataract surgery outcomes for India’s elderly: study

July 29, 2025 admin

Only 16% of all senior citizens seeking cataract surgery at four LVPEI centres used any insurance, a new study has found. | Photo Credit: Mohammed Yousuf India’s population is growing older and eye problems such as cataracts already cause nearly half of all vision‑loss in people over 60. However, fewer than one in eight Indian…

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