Category: Science & Tech

Nuclear reactions are processes that alter the identity of an atomic nucleus. Atoms in itself are incredibly small, and the atomic nucleus occupies less than one ten-trillionth of an atom’s volume, despite containing almost all of its mass. While chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of electrons, nuclear reactions alter protons or neutrons. Be it fission...

A: There is no one ‘best’ way to reach the moon because space travel always trades off between time, fuel, and payload mass. If a mission carries a human crew, mission designers will prioritise speed to minimise the astronauts’ exposure to space radiation, at the expense of burning more fuel. Conversely, a robotic cargo mission...

People who lived and died thousands of years ago have left behind their skeletal remains as a legacy. In recent years, scientists have isolated and sequenced the DNA from more and more of these remains. A team of researchers led by scientists at the Harvard Medical School in the U.S. has compared 15,836 ancient DNA...

For almost 25 summers, Sunita (name changed) gets a severe ‘sweat rash’ on her neck in the hot and humid weather of Mumbai. The rash turns black, looks almost burnt, and stays that way until the monsoons arrive. Then, as if miraculously, the dead skin is shed and her neck looks just fine all over...