That environmental pollutants can breach the placental barrier and affect foetuses is now well established in research. But how exactly does this happen? Finally, there is clarity on this question. Researchers at AIIMS Delhi have mapped the step-by-step biological pathway through which urban air pollution silences a key foetal growth protein, causing lasting harm to babies. The ICMR-funded study, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, has...
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June 1, 2026June 1, 2026Science & Tech
How red moved through empires, trade networks, and industrial factories
In 1799, during the storming of the fortress of Seringapatam, British troops broke through the defences of Srirangapatna and killed Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore. The palace inventories compiled in the aftermath record jewels, weapons, manuscripts and textiles of startling colour. Officers wrote with particular fascination about the intensity of the dyed fabrics stored in...
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June 1, 2026June 1, 2026Science & Tech
The genie of synthetic biology is out, and with it comes power and peril
For the first time in about four billion years of life on the earth, one species is learning not just to read the book of life but to write new versions. Our quest to understand and explain the natural world has always carried a double consequence: every success also enhances our ability to change the...
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June 1, 2026June 1, 2026Science & Tech
Fearsome dinosaur-era marine reptile was T. rex of the sea
Tyrannosaurus rex was a huge land predator during the twilight of the age of dinosaurs. But it was not the only T. rex that terrorised the Cretaceous Period. There also was a marine reptile named Tylosaurus rex – the T. rex of the sea – that rivalled its land counterpart in size and ferocity. Scientists...
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June 1, 2026June 1, 2026Science & Tech
Science Snapshots: May 31, 2026
Elephants’ decline portends dung beetle co-extinction Elephants are keystone species that sustain savannah ecosystems. A long-term study in East Africa has reported that dung beetles depend heavily on elephant dung. Following a 15-year field experiment, researchers concluded that beetle species richness dropped by 23%, and total beetle biomass fell by 51% sans elephant dung. Smaller...
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May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Science & Tech
The Hindu Huddle panel to throw light on AI and its impact
Artificial Intelligence is the flavour of the times. It is not the preserve of technology geeks anymore, and it is impacting all our lives in ways known and unknown. Many of us already use AI models in our jobs and in our homes. The likes of Google Gemini, Chat GPT, and Perplexity have transformed the...
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May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Science & Tech
Carrot extract can make fake ghee dodge quality test: study
Guwahati The red-orange pigment from carrots can make fake ghee dodge a popular quality test to pass off as a premium product sourced from cows, a new study has found. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, have demonstrated that non-dairy fats, such as palm oil and lard...
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May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Science & Tech
‘This is crucial juncture for space missions’, says Shubhanshu Shukla, as he prepares for second space voyage
He’s been there, done that, and is raring to get back into space, humankind’s final frontier. Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first man on the International Space Station (ISS), says he is drawing from his background as a IAF test pilot in his training for the Gaganyaan mission. Graphic story | The Gaganyaan Story Fly any new...
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May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Science & Tech
Blue moon 2026: will the ‘micromoon’ be visible in India?
A unique lunar event, featuring a rare blue moon, is set to occur on Sunday (May 31, 2026), according to science experts and the U.S. space agency NASA. The moon will be both a “micromoon” and a blue moon. A calendar blue moon typically occurs once every two to three years. This will be the...
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May 31, 2026May 31, 2026Science & Tech
Meteor explodes over U.S. with blast equivalent to 300 tonnes of TNT
A meteor crashing toward Earth exploded over the northeastern United States on Saturday, NASA said, setting off booms that echoed over the region with a blast equivalent to 300 tonnes of TNT. The fireball broke up over northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire at 2:06 p.m. (11:36 p.m. IST), the U.S. space agency’s deputy news...
