“Wastelands”. That’s how India’s biodiverse semi-arid grasslands and savannas have been undervalued ever since the British colonial era. For the masters, the woody forests of the subcontinent fuelled industrialisation, while the grassy biomes served no purpose in their timber-driven colonisation. Much of post-independence policy and jurisprudence drew heavily from the erstwhile rulers and “wastelands” made...
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December 4, 2025December 4, 2025Science & Tech
Malaria parasites corkscrew their way deeper through skin
Helical paths are everywhere in the microscopic realm. Many bacteria and parasites don’t simply swim or glide in straight lines. In three dimensions, they trace corkscrew-like tracks through their surroundings. Malaria parasites, for example, glide through soft 3D gels and, in the skin of a bitten host, on paths that look like stretched springs. For...
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December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Science & Tech
Try edible insects and fermented raw foods at this food festival at the Science Gallery Bengaluru
The Science Gallery in Bengaluru unveiled its year-long exhibition, Calorie, earlier this year. Through art installations, workshops and interactive games, the exhibition explores our relationship with food, nutrition and agriculture. Now as part of Calorie, the gallery is hosting a food festival titled Namma Oota. The festival has food stalls from various brands, as well...
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December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Science & Tech
One-atom experiment settles Einstein’s challenge in Bohr’s favour
In the 1920s, Albert Einstein proposed a twist on the double-slit experiment. Rather than a wall with two fixed slits, he imagined a very light slit that would recoil when a single photon passed through it. If one could measure that recoil, one could in principle tell which path the photon took. At the same...
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December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Science & Tech
Science quiz: The natural artists called minerals
Science quiz: The natural artists called minerals Visual: This photo shows various minerals displaying ____________. Fill in the blank with the name of a phenomenon where they absorb UV light and reemit it as visible light. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | This photo shows various minerals displaying ____________. Fill in the blank with...
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December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Children, Science & Tech
No, no, noise: The noise cancellation science
Our reality is a yes, yippie one for noise. We are always swimming in it. Sound waves pervade our atmosphere and a certain portion of those sound waves are what we refer to as noise (Sounds change into its alter ego ‘noise’ when we, subjectively, don’t want them there or think they are too disruptively...
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December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Environment, Science & Tech
How the Kosi’s shifting course exposes the perils of embankments
In August 2008, Bihar experienced one of the worst floods in nearly five decades when the Kosi River breached its embankment at Kusaha in Sunsari district of Nepal, killing more than 400 people and displacing thousands. A staggering 33 lakh people were affected at the peak of the flood in Bihar. Indeed, the Kosi River...
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December 2, 2025December 2, 2025Science & Tech
Why do we feel the need to go to the bathroom when we’re nervous or scared?
When you’re nervous or scared, your body enters its fight-or-flight mode, controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Adrenaline levels rise, your heart races, palms sweat, and blood flow and muscle tone are redistributed to prepare you to act. Your bladder and bowels are controlled by smooth muscle and sphincters. Stress hormones can make the bladder...
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December 2, 2025December 2, 2025Science & Tech
Why does India need bioremediation? | Explained
Human waste is leading to a decaying world where access to clean air, water or soil is becoming increasingly difficult. The solution is two-pronged – stop making more waste and clean up the waste already made. What is bioremediation? Bioremediation literally means “restoring life through biology.” It harnesses microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae and...
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December 2, 2025December 2, 2025Science & Tech
The science, technology, and pitfalls of using nuclear power in space
The US recently announced plans under its Lunar Fission Surface Power Project to deploy a small nuclear reactor on the moon by the early 2030s. It could be the first attempt to establish a permanent nuclear power source beyond earth orbit, signalling the start of a new era in space. While solar energy can power...
