Research based news stories & highlights in science, engineering, technology & humanities in India.
Doing our dirty jobs of clearing animal carcass for generations, extraordinary scavenging birds of prey, the vultures, deserve our gratitude and attention. Associated with goddesses in Egyptian mythology and revered hero in Indian mythology as Jatayu who sacrificed himself to save Sita, and once commonly seen; today, most species of vultures face extinction worldwide. Four out of nine species of vulture in India are critically endangered; it is now crucial to understand this often overlooked ecologically important bird.
Whales are magnificent creatures. Not only are they the some of the largest mammals on the planet, they also have the longest mammal migrations. Why and how do whales migrate? And what are some of the challenges they face on the way?
Bobbing up and down on the seabed are beautiful little creatures called Seahorses, sometimes vigorously trying to swim with the currents and other times, anchoring to seaweed. Nature’s extraordinary organisms, where only males get pregnant so females can make more eggs; sadly some species may disappear before we can learn more about them. Let us take you underwater and introduce you to fascinating little world of the seahorses.
Frogs have been around since the age of the dinosaurs, having survived four mass extinctions. Due to their remarkable ability to adapt to extreme conditions, they have thrived in almost all landscapes around the world from deserts to tropical rain forests, with some frogs even found in the Arctic circle. However, they are highly sensitive to changes in the environment. The world’s frogs are disappearing fast.
Whizzing and whirring past us are these insects that most of us remember as ‘helicopters’ of our childhood. Often subjected to our harsh fascination, these winged beauties were tied a string to their bodies, and flown around. Dragonflies and damselflies, collectively known as Odonates, were once as interesting to us as dragons and damsels of stories. Yet today, we barely have the time to notice these creatures.
Most of the knowledge a common man has about reptiles is based on stories and hearsay. It is high time we find out authentic truths and coexist with the wildlife that often finds its way to our homes, farms and other urban spaces. Let us learn about one of the most fascinating reptiles, snakes and appreciate how the human race is indebted to them.
Among the hustle bustle of people in India, survives the country’s fascinating biodiversity. Finding their way through all these lives is an incredible diversity of bats. Let us understand how we can coexist with these beautiful, yet misunderstood creatures of the night.
For over a century, India has nutured a host of science and technology based institutions. We capture the timeline of these institutions as they were established.
Missions to the outer space always bring a sense of excitement in the scientific community and hope to find answers to one haunting question - do aliens exist? The Cassini-Huygens mission, launched to orbit Saturn and study its moon - Titan, is no different. Although it has not yet found a convincing answer to the question, it has revealed various facets about the majestic planet, its spectacular rings and the splendid moons. And of course, the possibility of finding life based on many earth-like conditions in the atmosphere of one of Saturn’s moons. Come September, the glorious journey of this spacecraft comes to an end after two eventful decades. Here is a wishing Cassini-Huygens a long goodbye.
