The quantum computer It’s time to introduce the star of this article! The quantum computer is quite different from the regular computer you would use at home, the office, or in a school computer lab. It is a device that utilises quantum mechanics (a field of physics where the behaviour of matter and energy is...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & Tech
What is a wet dress rehearsal?
A week ago, NASA found a hydrogen leak during a wet dress rehearsal of its Artemis II mission. A dress rehearsal in rocketry is a full run-through of activities that will happen on the day of launch, to validate people, hardware, software, and timelines as an integrated system. A dry dress rehearsal practices the countdown...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Environment, Science & Tech
Global warming, pollution are stripping vibrant colours from nature
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...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & 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....
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Children, Science & Tech
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....
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & Tech
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...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & Tech
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...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & Tech
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...
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February 10, 2026February 10, 2026Science & Tech
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...
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February 9, 2026February 9, 2026Science & Tech
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...
