The British natural historian David Attenborough turns 100 today. It is likely no one has done more to make the non-human world more legible and loveable to mass audiences. Attenborough’s career as a host, starting with Zoo Quest in 1954, spans seven decades and nine documentary series. His influence on how several generations of people...
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May 7, 2026May 7, 2026Environment, Science & Tech
How David Attenborough inspired Indians to see nature differently
Jairam Ramesh, Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, general secretary (communications), Indian National Congress. | Photo Credit: PTI “David Attenboroughwas part of Indira Gandhi’s circle of naturalists. In 2019, in his acceptance speech on winning the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, he recalled a conversation...
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May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Science & Tech
On hotter days, why does the sky seem more grey than blue?
The sky’s blue is due to Rayleigh scattering — when molecules in the air scatter light of shorter wavelength (bluer) much more efficiently than that of longer ones. On hotter days, however, there can be other things in the air and which can affect how light is scattered. Warmer air can hold more moisture. So...
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May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Environment, Science & Tech
Why industrial heat pumps are a ‘clean heat’ opportunity for India
Industrial decarbonisation is often framed through solutions that promise deep emissions reductions (e.g. green hydrogen and carbon capture). These pathways are essential, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors, but are still several years away from large-scale adoption Industry accounted for nearly half of India’s final energy consumption in 2025, much of it still tied to fossil fuels....
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May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Science & Tech
China becomes AI’s biggest testing ground
On a recent weekday, around 50 people gathered outside the headquarters of a Chinese mobile internet company, waiting to get help with installing an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. The scene in Beijing, China’s capital, was repeated for days at several events and was also seen in the southern technology hub Shenzhen in March, as engineers...
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May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Children, Science & Tech
Why we can’t tickle ourselves
We instinctively associate tickling with laughter — the kind that makes you twist, pull away, and lose control. But when you try it on yourself, nothing happens. If tickling is just touch, why does the brain react differently depending on who is doing it? This is where the science gets interesting. Our brain plays a...
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May 5, 2026May 5, 2026Science & Tech
Tech developed by Indian talent abroad being bought back by domestic industry from foreign markets, says Pradhan
Despite significant investments, such as a proposed ₹1 lakh crore research and development fund for the private sector and startups, much of the technology developed by Indian talent abroad is being bought back by Indian industries from foreign markets, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan stated on Tuesday (May 5, 2026). Delivering the key note address at IIT Madras...
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May 5, 2026May 5, 2026Science & Tech
Union Education Minister calls for higher private sector investment in research, innovation
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (May 5, 2026) advocated equal contribution by the private sector and government in research and innovation, noting that about 70% of research investment in India currently comes from the government. Inaugurating the IIT Madras Technology Summit 2026 here, he said while the government has significantly increased funding for...
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May 5, 2026May 5, 2026Science & Tech
Hope for pancreatic cancer as new drug, daraxonrasib, shows promise
In 1988, a landmark paper appeared in the journal Cell. It showed that in around 95% of pancreatic cancers, a gene called KRAS carried mutations at a particular location. The paper was a watershed moment in cancer research since it was one of the first demonstrations of a mutation with near-universal frequency identified in a...
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May 5, 2026May 5, 2026Science & Tech
Telangana’s summers impact women harder in rural and low-income settings; nutrition services take a hit
When temperatures rise across Telangana, the heat is not experienced equally. Step into a typical household in summer, and the difference becomes clear. For many women, especially in rural and low-income settings, the day unfolds in spaces that are heat-prone, from kitchens to poorly ventilated work areas. As Telangana’s Heatwave Action Plan 2026 points out,...
