For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, first in a row, then in an intersecting line, gradually forming a grid. Then saplings are planted at the centre of each small square. The technique, known as “straw checkerboards”, is a...
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July 15, 2026July 15, 2026Environment, Science & Tech
A new era of Indian ecology looks to its horizons, and to the ground
Wildlife ecology in India looks different today than it did a decade ago. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and rapid development are all reshaping ecosystems faster than scholars can document them. Thus, ecologists are interested in how biodiversity has changed as well as how it is likely to change next. Just these questions shaped...
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July 15, 2026July 15, 2026Science & Tech
NASA astronaut Anil Menon, two others reach International Space Station
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts reached the International Space Station with hugs and handshakes in the early hours of Wednesday (July 15, 2026) onboard Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft after a little over three-hour journey. The Roscosmos spacecraft carrying Mr. Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from Baikonur at...
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July 15, 2026July 15, 2026Science & Tech
Who is Anil Menon, the Indian-origin NASA astronaut of Malayali descent now in Earth orbit?
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian heritage, has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in the early hours of Wednesday (July 15, 2026) onboard Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, kickstarting his first eight-month mission. The Roscosmos spacecraft carrying Dr. Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from Baikonur at 8:17 pm...
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
How protein biosensors can shrink the timeline of medical emergencies
A patient arrives at a hospital showing signs of sepsis, a deadly condition where the immune system attacks its own body after an infection. Sepsis kills 11 million people every year. Doctors must treat it within hours to save lives, but standard blood tests take up to 48 hours for results. Last year, researchers reported...
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
How protein biosensors can shrink the timeline of medical emergencies
A patient arrives at a hospital showing signs of sepsis, a deadly condition where the immune system attacks its own body after an infection. Sepsis kills 11 million people every year. Doctors must treat it within hours to save lives, but standard blood tests take up to 48 hours for results. Last year, researchers reported...
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
How protein biosensors can shrink the timeline of medical emergencies
A patient arrives at a hospital showing signs of sepsis, a deadly condition where the immune system attacks its own body after an infection. Sepsis kills 11 million people every year. Doctors must treat it within hours to save lives, but standard blood tests take up to 48 hours for results. Last year, researchers reported...
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
How the Gaganyaan crew module is built to survive
Gaganyaan is India’s maiden crewed space mission, designed to carry Indian astronauts to space and safely return them back to earth. Here, the rocket — Human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark (HLVM) 3 — will inject the orbital module (OM) into the desired orbit. The Gaganyaan astronauts will be onboard the OM. What does the OM contain?...
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
Nasa’s Anil Menon, two Russians blast off for 8-month International Space Station mission
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) lifted off onboard a Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Kazakhstan on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station. The Roscosmos spacecraft carrying Mr. Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome at 8:17 pm IST....
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July 14, 2026July 14, 2026Science & Tech
Could the sugar in our bodies have first come from space?
A: It is possible, though we don’t yet know for sure. In fact, astronomers recently found a complex sugar in deep space for the first time. Using powerful radio telescopes, a team affiliated with institutes in Spain and five other countries spotted a complex sugar called erythrulose in a giant interstellar molecular cloud near the...
