Tag: Science

Genetic disorders often stem from small errors in the DNA sequence with major consequences. Many diseases like cystic fibrosis and Batten disease can be traced to changes disrupting the cell’s ability to build a complete, functional protein. One particularly common culprit is the nonsense mutation, where a single incorrect DNA letter inserts a premature stop...

The story so far: Bio-based chemicals are industrial chemicals produced using biological feedstocks like sugarcane, corn, starch, or biomass residues, often through fermentation or enzymatic processes. Examples include organic acids (such as lactic acid), bio-alcohols, solvents, surfactants, and intermediates used in plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Enzymes are biological catalysts widely used in detergents, food processing,...

Astronomers have observed a planetary system that challenges current planet formation theories, with a rocky planet that formed beyond the orbits of its gaseous neighbors, possibly after much of the planet-forming material had been used up. The system, observed using the European Space Agency’s Cheops space telescope, consists of four planets – two rocky and...

In 1960, when she was studying chimpanzees in Tanzania, the primatologist Jane Goodall observed one chimp strip a stick of its leaves and use it to extract termites from a mound. She telegraphed her observation to her supervisor, the paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey.  “Now we must redefine ‘tool,’ redefine ‘man’ or accept chimpanzees as human,” Leakey...

A team of physicists from various universities has teamed up with the artificial intelligence (AI) model GPT-5.2 to arrive at a new result in theoretical physics, OpenAI announced on February 13. While the result itself is obscure, although valuable to physicists working on the topic, the methods that the team and the model used to...

Science Quiz: On Charles Darwin Julia Margaret Camero, a pioneer of close-up photography who also captured the famous 1862 image of Charles Darwin with a big beard. Photo: Public Domain START THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | Charles Darwin originally went to the University of Edinburgh to study ________, but he disliked the experience so...

Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nagpur. His series, ‘Green Humour’, consists of cartoons and comics on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, sustainability, and all things green.

A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: All you need to know about Galileo What are the Galilean moons, the first objects discovered in the Solar System using...

NASA is now aiming to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday (February 13, 2026), in another delay over weather conditions, the U.S. agency announced. It is targeting February 13 for the lift-off of Crew-12’s mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a window opening at 5:15 a.m. local time...

Did the 2026-27 Union Budget live up to India’s science ambitions and scientists’ expectations? The views vary depending on what specific sectors have received and the initiatives announced, and they’re not all rosy. Here are comments from seven leading scientists from around India, including heads of key departments, institutes, and a leading State university, compiled...