The colours of the natural world are not what they once were. More than half of the oceans have become greener over the last 20 years, and forests are turning brown prematurely. Various species of flora and fauna have also been changing their colours to adapt to rising temperatures, loss of habitats, and pollution. This...
Category: Science & Tech
Why India needs political change to retain women in STEM
In India, the story of women and girls in science is organised around a mismatch between a widening pipeline and stubborn barriers. Put differently, the country is getting better at bringing girls and young women into STEM education but it has been much less consistent at converting those aspirations into long careers in scientific work....
Leafy chemistry: What happens when a leaf changes colour in autumn?
For a moment, close your eyes and imagine yourself in the fall season. The cold, chilly wind kisses your face, and the leaves begin to dance gracefully as they fall off the tree. What’s the first thing you notice about the leaves? That they change colour before they fall off. But how? Asked and answered....
Indian space programme rooted in international cooperation rather than competition: ISRO chief
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan on Tuesday (February 10, 2026) said that India’s space programme was conceived as a people-centric and application-driven initiative, rooted in international cooperation rather than competition. Highlighting six decades of the country’s space journey, Mr. Narayanan said the programme had evolved from modest beginnings into a globally respected ecosystem that serves not...
What explains SpaceX, Blue Origin stepping up their moon plans? | Explained
Two of the world’s most visible private space companies are shifting their attention and resources to moon missions even as both continue to speak about longer term ambitions to Mars and beyond. For many years, the public identity of SpaceX has been fused with settling humans on Mars. Its founder and CEO Elon Musk has...
What explains the SpaceX, Blue Origin moonward pivot? | Explained
Two of the world’s most visible private space companies are shifting their attention and resources to moon missions even as both continue to speak about longer term ambitions to Mars and beyond. For many years, the public identity of SpaceX has been fused with settling humans on Mars. Its founder and CEO Elon Musk has...
The Hall-mark on diamond
Did you know that there was a time in history when diamonds were believed to exist only in India? The hardest natural material on Earth, diamonds were first discovered in India nearly 3,000 years ago. For more than a millennia, India remained the only source of diamonds for the world, a monopoly that the country...
On gravity’s role in the earth’s journey through space
A fresh year has just started, and we are already a month old. Year endings and startings are always occasions to ponder. Here in IIT Kanpur, where some of us teach, the first week of January is always hectic. A new semester just started, students are back after winter breaks, and people are rushing through...
ISRO identifies site for Chandrayaan-4 lander
The Chandrayaan-4 Mission is at least two years away, but the ISRO has identified a location in the South Polar region of the Moon to land its lander. The Union Government has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, designed as a lunar sample-return mission, and it will be India’s most complex lunar endeavour yet. “We are targeting...
New dragonfly species discovered in Kerala, named Lyriothemis keralensis
Researchers have discovered a new species of dragonfly from Kerala and named it Lyriothemis keralensis, recognising the State’s exceptional biodiversity. The species was recorded from Varapetty near Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, where it inhabits vegetated pools and irrigation canals within well shaded pineapple and rubber plantations. The study was conducted by Dattaprasad Sawant of the...
