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December 26, 2024, marks the 20th year since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami generated by the quake of magnitude 9.1 was sourced off the Sumatran coast and was the third largest (by magnitude) in the world since 1900. The source was 30 km below the ocean floor, in the Sunda trench,…
Read More “How the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake transformed tsunami science” »
On December 13, China and the U.S. agreed to extend the Agreement between China and USA on Co-operation in Science and Technology for an additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024. They also signed a protocol to amend it. With that the uncertainty over the Agreement’s continuation came to an end. Observers have welcomed…
Read More “U.S. and China renew bilateral S&T Agreement | Explained” »
Daily Quiz: On life and work of Isaac Newton Isaac Newton was a member of the Parliament of England from a district that was created in 1603 and abolished in 1950. File START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | Name the book Newton published in 1687 that laid the foundations of classical mechanics. The three-volume…
(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!) For decades, scientists have believed the human brain is a sterile fortress, protected from microbial invaders by the robust blood-brain barrier. But a new study, published in Science Advances, challenges…
Read More “Science for all Scientists find bacteria living on fish brains” »
As we age, we lose bits of our genome in tissues such as the skeletal muscle and the brain. These losses, called deletion mutations, gradually erode the function of a cell component called the mitochondrion. Muscle cells lacking a sufficient number of functional mitochondria to support their contractile function die and this causes a loss…
Read More “Why do we lose muscle mass with age? Scientists find one factor” »
Over the last decade or so, quantum computing has become the talk of computer town. Their potential to solve complex problems much faster than classical computers is an intriguing proposition that could benefit, if not transform, several industries. The working of a quantum computer is based on the principles of quantum mechanics, an area of…
Read More “A beginner’s guide to quantum computing | Explained” »
Police investigating the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024, have announced that the suspected assailant had used a 3D-printed gun. Several high-profile crimes in recent years have involved this kind of homemade, or partially homemade, weapon. Often called “ghost guns” because they can be hard to trace, these firearms can be either partially or…
Read More “3D-printed guns allegedly used to kill US CEO a growing threat worldwide” »
More than one-third of all animals on Earth, from beetles to cows to elephants, depend on plant-based diets. Plants are a low-calorie food source, so it can be challenging for animals to consume enough energy to meet their needs. Now climate change is reducing the nutritional value of some foods that plant eaters rely on. Human…
Read More “Climate change is making plants less nutritious” »
Modern estimates of the speed of light are made with a laser beam and an atomic clock. | Photo Credit: Thomas Kinto A: After centuries of developing improved instruments to measure everything in the physical world with increasing precision, scientists have agreed to define the speed of light as precisely 299,792,458 m/s. Their agreement redefines…
The deadly tsunami that swamped India’s southern coast two decades ago was a one-off disaster, but storms that are growing ever more intense spark panic each time howling gales whip up waves. Maragathavel Lakshmi shudders when she hears lashing rains or winds, recalling how her daughter was swept away when the 2004 tsunami, triggered by…
Read More “Storm fears overshadow India coast decades after tsunami” »