The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the GISAT-1A satellite in September, in a mission that will be watched closely for many important reasons. Since the two successive PSLV mission failures, in 2025 and early 2026, ISRO had paused launches as it investigated the reason why its workhorse rocket had suffered such...
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August 19, 2026August 19, 2026Science & Tech
New studies pursue the ‘perfect’ blend for coffee and health
Every morning, many of us drink one or two cups of coffee and feel good, refreshed, and ready for the day. Some of us drink one or two more cups at work before lunchtime. Some use pure coffee while others add chicory to it. We prepare the powder using a filter, add milk and sugar,...
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August 18, 2026August 18, 2026Science & Tech
BRICS condemns EU carbon tax
BRICS countries on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) opposed what they described as “unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist” climate measures, including the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs), while calling for a significant increase in international funding to help developing countries adapt to climate change. The positions were contained in the joint statement adopted at...
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August 18, 2026August 18, 2026Science & Tech
Indian rock yields oldest directly dated traces of microbial life: study
Researchers say they have found “compelling evidence” from multiple sources that microbial life existed in what is now eastern India at least 3.5 billion years ago. Typically these involve finding fossils or traces of organic chemicals but in this case they rely on converging chemical clues, according to a paper that appeared in the peer-reviewed...
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August 18, 2026August 18, 2026Science & Tech
Bihar’s alcohol ban has been a success for social wellness, data show
Recently, a report titled ‘Macro Perspective of Bihar’s Development Achievements, Unfinished Agenda, and the Way Forward’ presented at the India Policy Forum 2026 received widespread media attention. While it is a good and timely report, one of the recommendations it makes is flawed from public health and social development perspectives: that the State of Bihar...
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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026Science & Tech
Taxing ‘frivolous’ industries will not fund India’s science
Whenever concerns are raised about the lack of funding for Indian science, a solution often put forward is to tax “unintellectual” industries such as cinema, tourism, apparel, and perfumes. For example, only recently, an academic from one of India’s leading research institutes suggested taxing the Indian Premier League (IPL), which, he argued, would magically generate...
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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026Science & Tech
Rotating detonation engines: the science and the promises
Recently, India-based defence start-up D-Propulse announced that it had successfully demonstrated a rotating detonation engine at a Defence Research & Development Organisation facility in Hyderabad. A rotating detonation engine, or RDE, is an engine design that promises to use fuel more efficiently than conventional rocket engines. Launching satellites to space on rockets and carrying explosives...
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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026Environment, Science & Tech
‘People could get hurt’: Conservationists decry AI wildlife visuals
The black-and-white image appears to show the unlikeliest of interactions: an orangutan cradling endangered leopard cubs deep in the jungles of Malaysia’s Sabah state. But the viral image is not just unlikely, it is fake, part of a trend of wildlife images generated by artificial intelligence that experts warn endanger animals and people. Fact-checkers have...
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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026Science & Tech
Unusual black hole found at universe’s dawn presents dusty mystery to astronomers
When the James Webb Space Telescope looks deep into the Universe, some of the objects it finds appear as small, red dots. Astronomers call them little red dots (LRDs), and they have become one of the telescope’s more intriguing discoveries. Now, an international team of astronomers has found an unusual object that may help explain...
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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026Science & Tech
Why is Maharashtra experiencing an earthquake swarm? | Explained
The story so far: There has been a spate of small earthquakes in Maharashtra over the last fortnight, according to local reports. Of the 29 tremors during this period, 24 were in and around Nashik, four were in Palghar and one was in Nagpur. They weren’t particularly strong — the strongest was in Nagpur on...
