Nature has an incredibly diverse array of life-hacks that can help us better solve various problems. Interesting phenomenon and natural resources can be abounding in even the most unexpected corners. One such unexpected location are the various hot water springs of Himalayas. Thriving with microbial life which can survive temperatures as high as 90˚C, these hot water springs are a treasure trove of exotic thermos-tolerant microbial enzymes which have a wide array of applications.

India produces a large amount of agricultural products due to its fertile soil and dependable rainfall patterns. Any harm to the soil would affect the lives of millions in the country. Soil erosion due to rainfall is one such threat. In an first of its kind study an international team of scientists have designed a global map of soil erosivity to devise mechanisms to protect our soils from erosion due to rainfall.

We live in a world where day to day objects seems to be getting smaller and better. The advent of nanotechnology is a major contributing factor to this phenomenon. Defined as the “engineered construction of matter at the molecular level”, nanotechnology has applications and uses in a multitude of fields. From medicine, electronics, food, clothing, batteries and environment, nanotechnology seems to be pushing the limits of all these fields. Now, scientist have discovered yet another novel application of nanotechnology – facilitating soil microbial growth.

Although Solar energy has been often hailed as a green source of energy, shortcomings in conventional silicon based solar cells and the environmental damage caused during mining and manufacturing of such cells raises questions on the green nature of the energy. In a breakthrough, scientists have developed organic solar cells, developed from indigenously developed discotic liquid crystal, that could provide an alternative.

Plants belonging to the genus Parthenium are native to the North American tropics. These hardy plants have moved out of their native range and colonized far off countries like Australia, parts of Africa and even India. The species hysterophorus belonging to this genus has earned common names like famine weed as spreads it into farm lands, uses up the nutrients in the soil and causes devastating loss in yield of crops.

An important aspect in the life of social animals is to gather information from others in their group. Young members of the group also learn how to forage, feed, evade predators and attract mating partners from older members. Scientists from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata explore how Zebra fish, that live in shoals of 20 individuals in the wild, learn informations from their partners in a laboratory environment.

Bangalore’s second Moving Waters Film Festival brought with it stories of beauty, despair and hope, from water bodies from all over the world. Based in India, it is the first film festival of its kind devoted to oceans and rivers. This year, the film festival was held in two of the nation’s major cities - Bengaluru and Chennai. The 2 day event, which took place on the 14th and 15th of October, was hosted at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Indiranagar, Bengaluru.

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.

With the advances in technology our knowledge of subatomic particles and how they behave has improved considerably. But much is yet to be discovered in the subnuclear realm. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Romania, and Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad have developed a theoretical framework to measure the diameter of a Pion. 

Rapid Industrialization and technology development have placed a high demand on fossil fuels and other energy sources. While fossil fuels are still the most efficient of the energy sources, their adverse effects on the climate along with diminishing oil reserves, has prompted scientists to look for other, environmentally friendly options of fuels. While renewable energy alternatives like solar and wind, can be quite expensive, cheaper alternatives have been the quest for many scientists. One of the promising candidates has been Biofuels.