As we bid adieu to 2018 and welcome 2019, here is a snapshot of India’s year in science. From remarkable satellite launches, scientific breakthroughs and a cocktail of controversies, the year that went by was eventful for various reasons. Here is an attempt to travel down the memory line, reflecting on what we saw and what we could learn. While this is not an extensive list and in no way ranked, it is an attempt to highlight India’s year in science.

The year 2018 was marked by exciting discoveries and inventions in the field of medical sciences, life sciences, archeology, physical sciences, and planetary sciences. While some are headline-hitting, most are crucial in cementing our understanding of various tenets in these areas. As we come close to bidding goodbye to 2018, here is a sneak-peek into the trendsetters in science in this year, in no particular order.

Over 8.7 million species are known to be found on Earth today, and many scientists believe that we have only scratched the surface.

You asked it and here we have! Wondering what was popular on Research Matters in 2018? Following are our top-ten stories that gained traction by readers like you. Thank you for your support and hope to see it continue in the years to come.

As the curtain falls on 2018, here is a tribute to those great Indian scientists and innovators who died in the year. These eminent people contributed to various fields of science and helped put India in the frontiers of global scientific advancements. This is in no way an exhaustive list, but it is an effort to bring to the fore the achievers who have left an indelible mark behind. 

The neurotoxin series: Part 1. The first of a series that talks about the neurotoxins found in the cone snails.

In 2009, a journalist named Christopher McDougall published a book called “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen”. It is an odd combination of popular science, tirade against the modern running-shoe industry and a true story.

Researchers at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research - Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) are solving two major problems faced by society today, food waste and energy production. The team reviews various ways in which food waste can be converted to fuels, power, heat and value added chemicals.

It was just another microsecond in Atomos. If looked closely enough, one would find the central town of Nucleuster amongst the clouds of Electros. Granted, Nucleuster might not be a fancy metropolitan, but it is a dense, closely-knit niche of positivity sheltering the likes of two types of inhabitants, the Prots and the Neutros.

The banks of the river Krishna, an iconic river in South India, is a sight to behold! As you gaze through its vastness, have you ever wondered how the river is, and since when it is flowing? Here is a trivia—the rivers that flow in Karnataka are, in fact, older than the mighty Himalayas!