India has called for the shrinking pool of climate finance and a widening adaptation finance gap to be tackled head-on at the United Nations climate negotiations-linked talks under way in Bonn, Germany. It has urged that a Paris Agreement provision, which obliges developed countries to provide funds to developing nations, be given dedicated agenda space...
Category: Science & Tech
Droughts can drive antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria, research finds
Droughts can increase the levels of antibiotic resistance in soil, a new study by researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has reported. Published in Nature Microbiology, the study revealed that when soil dries due to drought stress, the concentration of natural antibiotics increases, favouring the survival of resistant bacteria. The study also projected...
Meet the frogs that build ‘cloudy’ nests in South Africa’s trees
For most frogs, life begins as a game of odds. They lay their eggs in the water, where fish and insects gobble up about 98% of them before they even have a chance to hatch. The African grey foam-nest tree frog (Chiromantis xerampelina) figured a way out: it took its nest into the air. In...
Scientists find a blood test that predicts lung cancer years early
Lung cancer is one of the more common cancers affecting people worldwide. This is mainly thanks to smoking and, to a lesser extent, air pollution and occupational exposure. According to the latest World Health Organization estimates, there are about 2.5 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths every year. Prevention offers the ideal solution to...
Advances in cardiac care and the challenge of accessibility in India
Heart failure is one of the fastest-growing cardiovascular challenges worldwide and a major cause of hospital admissions in India. Unlike a heart attack, which is a sudden event, heart failure is a chronic condition that requires lifelong management. Patients often experience repeated episodes of worsening symptoms, leading to hospitalisation. A recent U.K. clinical trial found...
85 confirmed cases of shigellosis reported till June in Kerala; preventive measures initiated
A highly contagious bacterial diarrhoeal disease called shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), caused by shigella, is being reported across the State now While all districts are reporting cases sporadically, these are turning into outbreaks in some locations affecting more people because of contaminated food/ water or due to poor hygiene practices. Cases are now being reported from...
Has Apple’s Siri finally arrived on the AI scene?
A year ago, a Reddit thread went viral for all the wrong reasons after a user posted their experience with Siri. When they asked it “what month is it?”, Siri responded with “Sorry, I don’t understand.” That post came after a much-hyped Apple’s voice assistant failed to deliver on its most-advertised capabilities. At WWDC 2024,...
Technique to ‘amplify’ random numbers is digital security breakthrough
Most digital security relies today on random numbers to generate cryptographic keys. Think of a cryptographic key like a long, complex password. If that password is truly random, an attacker has to guess every possible combination. But if the ‘random’ process used to make that password has a pattern, the attacker can use that pattern...
Physicists predict a Solar Deepavali this year
The sun may well add to this year’s Deepavali celebrations, if predictions made by solar physicists come true. A solar flare that occurred on the Sun has triggered a magnetic storm which scientists predict will arrive at the Earth in the early hours of November 4, and this can give rise to spectacular displays of...
Northern lights in India? Here’s how to see Auroras tonight
‘Aurora Borealis’, more popularly called ‘northern lights’, is expected to be visible in India on June 8, 2026. A massive solar storm is expected to make the beautiful phenomenon, commonly seen in Nordic countries such as Switzerland and Finland, a reality in the country. When and where to watch auroras? The auroras are expected to...
