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This illustration shows a DNA molecule twisting to the left. In all our bodies, DNA twists to the right while left-twisting DNA is absent. | Photo Credit: Getty Images In a mirror, left and right become swapped. While you unscrew a bottle cap anti-clockwise in the real world, in the mirror you’ll be rotating it…
Read More “What is ‘mirror life’ and why have scientists opposed it?” »
Plagiarism is a big area of concern that is rearing its ugly head worldwide. The act of representing someone else’s ideas, thoughts, language, or expression as original work, plagiarism not only discourages creativity, but also steals from the actual creators. In a world with artificial intelligence (AI) that we live in, more checks and balances…
Read More “Marius, the man who named Jupiter’s Galilean moons” »
A new study analysing the movements of 33 GPS-collared giraffes across five reserves in South Africa has found that giraffes avoid steep terrain and are unable to navigate slopes with a gradient of more than 20 degrees, most likely due to the energy required and the risk of falling. This severely limits the areas in,…
Writing by hand facilitates better memory and recall Time was when we elders wrote our letters and other correspondence using pen and paper and sent them across through the post office. Today, other than sending greeting cards by post, we have even started using digital devices such as smartphones and digital computers, typing out the…
Read More “Writing by hand is better for learning, memory” »
Writing by hand facilitates better memory and recall Time was when we elders wrote our letters and other correspondence using pen and paper and sent them across through the post office. Today, other than sending greeting cards by post, we have even started using digital devices such as smartphones and digital computers, typing out the…
Read More “Writing by hand is better for learning, memory” »
A study investigated and compared the tissue tropism of a 2004 H5N1 strain isolated from a fatal human case and the 2024 bovine strain of H5N1 that is currently circulating in mice and found that the two strains displayed significantly different abilities to infect different tissues. While replication of the 2004 virus was largely in…
Read More “Bovine H5N1 displays pronounced neurotropism in many mammals” »
A study investigated and compared the tissue tropism of a 2004 H5N1 strain isolated from a fatal human case and the 2024 bovine strain of H5N1 that is currently circulating in mice and found that the two strains displayed significantly different abilities to infect different tissues. While replication of the 2004 virus was largely in…
Read More “Bovine H5N1 displays pronounced neurotropism in many mammals” »
Metal scrap can be directly transformed and upgraded into high-performance, high-value alloys without the need for conventional melting processes, according to a new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications. The study demonstrates that scrap aluminum from industrial waste streams can produce high-performance metal alloys. The upcycled aluminum performs on par with identical materials produced from…
Read More “Solid phase alloying can turn metal scrap into high-value alloys” »
The idea of natural childbirth, outside the safety net of hospitals, is often romanticised as a return to simpler, more harmonious times. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images The recent case of an infant death in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu shocked the health authorities. A pregnant woman, despite repeated offers of modern healthcare services, chose to deliver her child at home. Her decision is rooted…
Read More “The fallacy of natural birth: Safeguarding mothers and newborns in modern times” »
Questions: 1. In km/hr, the value of this unit is 1.14 x 10-13. It translates to one micrometer per year, and is used in the earth sciences to measure the speed at which a surface becomes narrower or less thick due to erosion. What’s the unit called? 2. X is rising at 0.3 trillionths of…