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This handout picture released by the Russian Roscosmos space agency on April 8, 2024 shows a heavy-class Angara-A5 rocket at the launch pad of the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur region on the eve of its launch. | Photo Credit: AFP The first launch of the Angara A5 space rocket from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome will…
Read More “Russia to launch Angara rocket for first time from Vostochny Cosmodrome” »
One of the most striking anatomical features in apes, and which sets them apart from monkeys, is the absence of a tail. All mammals have a tail at some point during their development, but apes – including humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons – lose them in utero, leaving behind three to five vestigial…
Read More “A freak DNA change 25 million years ago is why humans lack tails” »
As the winter months fall behind us and summer heat starts to rise, we have some visitors in our midst: the all-pervading mosquitos. Everywhere and anywhere, we find these wonderful creatures hovering all around us, in the walkways, in classrooms, at the chai stalls here in IIT Kanpur, where I teach. Often in the mornings,…
A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on April 8 as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to behold the spectacle through clear skies. Eclipse mania gripped all of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, as the moon swept in front of the sun, blotting out daylight. Almost everyone…
Image used for representational purpose. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj The findings of an international study suggest that consuming low glycaemic index and low glycaemic load diets might prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. They also found a strong association between glycaemic index (GI) and the risk of type 2 diabetes among individuals with a…
Superconducting material hovering over a set of neodymium magnets. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Q: A superconductor is a material whose properties are such that the material can conduct electricity without resistance. Superconductors also demonstrate one other common trait: they expel ________ ______. Fill in the blanks. A: Magnetic fields Q: The Dutch physicist Heike…
Read More “The Hindu Daily Quiz, April 8 2024 | On Superconductors” »
FILE PHOTO: A team from Nature, through court documents, has found that Ranga Dias, professor at University of Rochester who had touted the discovery of room-temperature superconductor in March last year, committed data fabrication, falsification and plagiarism. | Photo Credit: J. ADAM FENSTER A team from Nature, through court documents, has found that Ranga Dias, professor at University of Rochester who…
The story so far: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said its PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has practically left zero debris in earth’s orbit. The space agency explained that the last stage of the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV) used in the mission was transformed into a kind of orbital station — called the PSLV Orbital…
Read More “ISRO’s ‘zero orbital debris’ milestone & the space debris crisis | Explained” »
The Supreme Court’s judgment noted that the right to a healthy environment, safe from the ill-effects of climate change, was a “fundamental human right”. File | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR The Supreme Court has recognised a much-felt, but less articulated right against the adverse effects of climate change as a distinct fundamental right in…
Read More “Right against climate change a distinct fundamental and human right, SC judgment” »
For representative purposes. | Photo Credit: iStockphoto The story so far: Semiconductor chip manufacturing capabilities are currently limited to very few regions in the world. With supply chain disruptions during the pandemic and recent geopolitical tensions, many companies and countries, including India, have realised the importance of investing in chip manufacturing infrastructure. The TATA group…
Read More “What is the technology behind manufacturing a semiconductor chip? | Explained” »
