Wild animals have for long been known for their intuitive pharmacological knowledge: orangutans balm their wounds with plants; chimpanzees consume bitter antibacterial leaves; Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins queue up to rub against selected corals; and birds smear their nests with insecticidal plants to fend off anaemia-causing mites. Scientists term this behaviour zoopharmacognosy, where animals seek out...
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September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Science & Tech
SpaceX Starship engine failure could hit NASA moon mission plans
The Starship engine failure that nearly foiled the orbital debut of SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft on its 14th uncrewed test flight may complicate NASA‘s ability to meet its time frame for astronaut missions to the moon. Starship, designed in part to carry large payloads to space, is one of two vehicles vying to become the first...
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September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Science & Tech
Subatomic ambitions take five Indian school students to CERN
A group of Indian school students are among the five winning teams of the 13th edition of the ‘Beamline for Schools’ competition, a physics competition for high school students from all around the world organised by CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, in Geneva. The Indian team, named “attoPION”, comprises Nenavath Abhay Vivek, Sidhartha...
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September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Science & Tech
Buzz on space privatisation upstages ISRO’s moment of glory
This article is part of Space Wrap, a round-up of space news and developments in and related to India every month The successful predawn launch of the advanced earth observation satellite EOS-05, on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket on September 4, 2026 from the spaceport in Sriharikota brought considerable relief for the Indian...
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September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Science & Tech
Ground control: On ISRO, policy and its focus
The irony was evident: on the day the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had its greatest success of the year — the launch of its first geosynchronous imaging satellite (EOS-05) on a temperamental GSLV — its employee organisations demanded clarity on its long-term plans. But this grievance was long in the making. Since the Indian...
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September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Science & Tech
What are Dots, OpenAI’s new AI agents?
OpenAI, on Tuesday (September 29, 2025), unveiled Dots, the company’s new agentic capability that completes a range of tasks for users. The company also introduced several major updates focused on AI agents and developer tools. Dots, which reads like a play on “bots”, are always-on AI agents that can handle complex tasks by accessing your...
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September 29, 2026September 29, 2026Science & Tech, TamilNadu
Highly educated professionals are vulnerable to financial cybercrime, finds IIT-Madras study
A study led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) has found that financial cybercrime victims in India are often highly educated professionals, challenging the perception that victims are primarily careless, financially unaware or greedy. The study found that high digital literacy does not necessarily protect individuals from cyber fraud. Victims included...
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September 29, 2026September 29, 2026Science & Tech
MeitY IndiaAI Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence to be launched on Wednesday
Minister for Industries, IT and AI P.K. Kunhalikutty will formally launch MeitY IndiaAI Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam (CAIK), on Wednesday (September 30). The centre is being established under the IndiaAI Mission of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. Digital University Kerala is the...
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September 28, 2026September 28, 2026Science & Tech
SpaceX puts Starship megarocket in orbit for first time
Elon Musk’s Starship megarocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday (September 28, 2026) after blasting off from Texas, in a major milestone for SpaceX’s plans, including trips to the Moon and Mars. The black-and-silver behemoth, standing more than 120 meters (131 yards) tall, rose through a thick cloud of smoke on an ambitious...
