New study uses mathematical analysis of walking patterns for early detection of Parkinson’s disorder.

Ecology

Bengaluru
6 Dec 2019

The Indian monsoon, which sees much variability, has been crucial to the country's economy. It affects 42% of employed individuals in the country — farmers and those working in the agricultural sector. At times, a 'normal' monsoon brings enough rain to keep everyone happy, but sometimes, there is either a deluge or a drought. With recent meteorological advances, these variations can be predicted and recorded. But, how do we go back hundreds of years in time to understand the historical variability in Indian monsoon? Corals in the Red Sea may have answers, says a study by American researchers.

Bengaluru
2 Dec 2019

In a recent study, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, have found a new species of earth-boring dung beetle in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh during one of their field expeditions. Named after the district it was discovered in, Enoplotrupes tawangensis belongs to the family Geotrupidae.

Bengaluru
29 Nov 2019

Since 2012, six bridges have collapsed in Mumbai, killing 28 people and injuring hundreds. Often, news of flyovers and pedestrian bridges tumbling down have made it to the headlines across the country. Although durable materials like steel and concrete are used in today’s structures, poor quality of construction and lack of maintenance are often blamed for such catastrophes. Contrast this with the rock-solid centuries-old root bridges found in Meghalaya—many as old as 250 years and still growing strong—built without modern tools or design. Could the structure of these bridges unravel architectural clues for urban construction? In a recent study, researchers from Germany and the USA have tried to understand the morphology and structure of these root bridges, built out of the aerial roots of strangler figs, and that have endured floods, earthquakes, landslides and fires.

Bengaluru
18 Nov 2019

In a recent study, scientists have discovered two new species in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India. To date, this group of termites has been documented only in the Western Ghats of India. The termite species were named after Sri K.A. Dineshan and Sri. Manikandan Nair of the Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode, who collected the samples from the field and contributed greatly to the entire faunal survey.

Bengaluru
22 Nov 2019

In a recent study, researchers from Anna University, Chennai, quantified the volume of virtual water trade in India. The study, published in the journal Groundwater for Sustainable Development, focussed on the trade exchange of popular crop and livestock products during the years 2006–2016.

Bengaluru
13 Sep 2019

Humans have evolved a complex system of communication expressed through language and primates are perhaps not far behind. Basic signals like facial expressions, gestures and vocalisations, used to share information, are used by humans and other primates. In a new study, researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, have investigated and compared gestural communication in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata), to those in other apes. 

Bengaluru
8 Nov 2019

Disgusting, annoying or beneficial? What would you call these pestering fruit flies that don’t miss an opportunity to sit on your favourite cut fruit or visit your kitchen a few times? Whatever you call them, did you know we owe a great deal of our knowledge on evolution to these pesky flies? Ever wondered what’s the lifestyle of Drosophila melanogaster, as they are scientifically called, within the four walls of a laboratory where they are experimented upon? Here is a sneak peek.

Bengaluru
7 Nov 2019

In a recent study, researchers from Sai Nath University, Ranchi, and Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, set out to quantify the impacts of natural radioactivity on the surrounding environment in the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences.

Bengaluru
5 Nov 2019

Avian malaria or bird malaria has been linked to significant declines in captive and wild birds, such as penguins and Hawaiian forest birds. Common blood parasites, like Plasmodium that spread through mosquitoes and Haemoproteus that are transmitted through louse flies and biting midges, cause the disease in birds.

Bengaluru
31 Oct 2019

Study shows how paper wasps use the space in their nests to feed their larvae and fend off diseases.