GUWAHATI Apple farm waste may soon help protect metal pipes, machinery, and infrastructure from corrosion. An international research team led by Nagaland University (NU) has found a way to turn discarded apple leaves into a highly effective, eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor, offering up to 96.2% protection for copper in harsh chemical conditions. The study, carried out...
Category: Science & Tech
New state of matter is a solid-liquid hybrid
A new state of matter appears to be a solid-liquid hybrid, scientists from Ulm University in Germany and the University of Nottingham in the UK have reported in the journal ACS Nano. The newfound material isn’t a slush or a gel in the macroscopic sense but refers to a specific atomic structure where different parts...
Soft matter: the unusual yet persistent physics inside your bathroom cabinet
Every morning, you perform a small physics activity without realising it. You squeeze toothpaste out of a tube. You apply a force and the paste flows out like a liquid. When you stop squeezing, the toothpaste stays on the brush, holding its shape against gravity. It doesn’t drip, spread or collapse into a puddle. This...
Microscopic crustacean discovered in Kavaratti established as a new genus and species, say researchers
A tiny crustacean discovered from the Kavaratti lagoon in the Lakshadweep islands has now been established as a new genus and a new species. The organism, which belongs to the family Laophontidae within the Copepoda class, is so minuscule that it can be properly studied only with a microscope. The crustacean has been named Indiaphonte...
What is Point Nemo, the most isolated place on Earth?
Point Nemo lies in the South Pacific Ocean, at 48°52.6′ south latitude and 123°23.6′ west longitude to be exact. It is about 2,700 kilometres away from the nearest land in all directions. Also known as ‘pole of inaccessibility’ which is used to describe locations that are harder to reach than any other point on Earth...
What does ‘visibility’ mean in weather science?
A: In weather science, ‘visibility’ is a colloquial term for a quantity called the meteorological optical range. It’s defined as the distance a beam of light can travel through the atmosphere before its intensity drops to 5% of its original value. In an older time, a human observer would stand at a point and look...
What happened to ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission? | Explained
The story so far: On January 12, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C62 mission lifted off from Sriharikota carrying the EOS-N1 satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites. Within minutes, ISRO said the mission had “encountered an anomaly during end of the PS3 stage”, and that a detailed analysis was initiated. What was the anomaly? In a televised briefing after the launch, ISRO chairman...
The “biggest blunder” of Einstein’s life
If there’s one scientist that everyone, or at least most of us, know, then it has to be German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. As someone who has fundamentally altered humanity’s understanding of space, time, gravity and energy, Einstein enjoys fame and popularity unlike anyone else from the realm of science. The greatest achievement of a...
Satellite launching facility will come up on Hope Island in the Kakinada Bay, says Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on January 17, 2026 (Saturday) announced that the Andhra Pradesh Government was preparing to develop a satellite launching facility as part of the Space City project on the Hope Island in the Kakinada Bay. Hope Island, which is a part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in the Godavari...
Mysuru: The Hindu in School Science Festival inspires young innovators
The Hindu in School Science Festival and Ramanujam Spark Quest elicited an overwhelming response from students of various schools in Mysuru city as well as Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts. The annual event, held at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry on Vinoba Road here on January 17, witnessed a vibrant congregation of children driven by a zeal...
